Did you know that the Grand Canyon, located in the great American Southwest (Arizona, to be precise), is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World? It's not surprising really. The beauty of the canyon is breathtaking. I don't think any other place is quite like it.

Fun For The Family

There is no better place in the U.S. to take a family vacation than the Grand Canyon. Besides the obvious sightseeing (there's nothing like it!), you can even take a smooth-water rafting trip down the Colorado River. The water's so calm that seniors and kids four and up can participate in this unique experience.

It is difficult to appreciate how massive the Grand Canyon is when you arrive. Standing on the rim, you're about a mile above the Colorado River at the bottom. The river looks more like a silvery ribbon than what it really is - the force that created the gorge over hundreds of millions of years. Grand Canyon float tours give you an ?up-close-and-personal? view of the river and you'll be awed by the canyon walls towering above you.

Some folks prefer to stay on top and explore the rim they're visiting. A few adventurous souls hike down the trails until they reach the bottom. However, that is not easy to do if you have seniors or little kids with you. Fortunately, families can take Grand Canyon float tours for a fun, educational experience and get the same bottom-up? perspective.

If you'd love to get your kids interested in nature and environmental issues, a smooth-water rafting tour would be a great way to do it. Floating along the river is exciting for everyone and the views are indescribable, plus it is educational for the kids.

Colorado River

As you're passing the canyon's unique rock formations, you can teach your kids some basics about the geology of the area. The Colorado River carved out the canyon from the limestone of the Kaibab Plateau. Your kids will be amazed at the thought of it, especially when they see the rocks with their own eyes. It's amazing what erosion can accomplish if given long enough.

Keep your kids engaged and have them be on lookout for wildlife such as the California condor, hawks, bighorn sheep, and rock squirrels. Observing plants and animals in their natural habitat helps your kids learn about the delicate balance of nature. Your kids can learn a lot of things such as how to identify the animals, then they can imagine what they eat and where they live in the canyon.

The area is also rich in Native American history and culture. Hualapai Indians have lived in the Grand Canyon thousands of years and now own the land at the West Rim. The Hualapai have become creative in ways to earn money from their land since the old ways of hunting for a living are gone, and one of the things they do is earn income from the Skywalk glass bridge.

To Wrap Up

All good teachers know children need to be interested in order to learn. Kids are naturally inquisitive, but they get bored easily. You can disrupt this boredom by changing the topic often to keep things exciting. Nothing combines just the right amount of excitement and changing sights and topics better than a smooth-water rafting trip. It's easy for kids to have fun while they're learning about geology, wildlife and history during Grand Canyon rafting tours.